On April 4, Beijing time, today's NBA games have ended, and the situation in the Western Conference is very chaotic. At present, the top 3 teams in the West have been determined, namely the Timberwolves, Nuggets and Thunder, but there will be changes in the rankings, and these 3 teams are also competing for No. 1. The three teams have 45 wins and are in the race for fifth place in the West, with the Mavericks 45-30, the Suns 45-31 and the Pelicans 45-31. The more chaotic the pattern in the West, the more beneficial it is for the Lakers, after the Lakers have won 3 in a row, only 1.5 wins away from the Suns in 6th place in the West, the Lakers have 5 games left, as long as they win them all, and once the opponent drops the chain, the Lakers have the hope of going straight to the playoffs.
First, the three teams in the west compete for the first place
The Nuggets did not play today, the Timberwolves defeated the Raptors 133-85, and the Thunder lost 100-135 to the Celtics, at present, the Timberwolves are in 1st place with 53-23, the Nuggets are in 2nd place with 53-23, and the Thunder are in 3rd place with 52-24, 1 win behind the Timberwolves and Nuggets, and will most likely be ranked 3rd in the end. The Thunder's Alexander has been out of action due to injury recently, and his MVP ranking has been surpassed by Doncic, and from the current point of view, it is only a matter of time before Jokic of the Nuggets gets the MVP, Doncic's Mavericks record is not top, and it is no longer possible to enter the top 4 in the West.
As the regular season becomes less and less, the Nuggets may also wait and see, trying to play a team with average strength in the first round, if they are at the top of the Western Conference, they may meet the Lakers or Warriors in the first round, which is by no means a signing, Zhuge Malone should release the water, and let the last few games rest the teacher. The Timberwolves and Thunder don't have to think about it so much, it has been a huge success to be in the top 3 in the West, and the Timberwolves have been in the playoffs for 3 consecutive seasons and have risen. In the next few years, traditional giants such as the Warriors and Lakers will enter a slump, while young teams such as the Thunder, Timberwolves, Rockets, and Spurs will become the backbone.
Second, 3 teams 45 wins to compete for 5th place
The most stable team is the Clippers in 4th place, there is no hope of breaking into the top 3, but it is not easy for the team behind to surpass, the Clippers are 2 wins ahead of the Mavericks, which is also a big advantage, as long as they do not suffer a losing streak, the Clippers will participate in the playoffs as 4th place. The other three teams, the Mavericks, Suns and Pelicans, all got their 45th wins of the season, and the difference was only 0.5 wins. Relatively speaking, the Pelicans began to fall behind, although the record is about the same, but compared with the Mavericks and the Suns, the Pelicans' performance has declined greatly during this time, and they have suffered three consecutive defeats, and they also lost to the Magic at home.
The Mavericks lost to the Warriors 100-104 in the last game, and the two sides played until the last minute, in fact, Doncic and Irving performed very well, but the Warriors' offensive firepower was too strong. However, there are still 7 games left, and as long as the Mavericks can get 5 wins, they can enter the playoffs without worry. After the Suns beat the Cavaliers, they have won two in a row and returned to 6th place in the West, hoping to surpass the Mavericks to finish 5th. In a way, the Suns decide the pattern of the West, and if they participate in the play-offs, the opponent will have a headache, and if they go straight to the playoffs, whether it is the Thunder, the Timberwolves or the defending champion Nuggets, they will have to sweat a lot.
Third, the Lakers' impact on the 6th place in the West is just around the corner
After the Lakers defeated the Wizards, they have won three in a row and are very good at the crucial moment of the playoffs. The Lakers are ranked 9th in the West with 44 wins and 33 losses, only 1.5 wins behind the Suns who are 6th in the West, the gap is actually not big, but the next 5 games need to be won in order to have a chance to enter the top 6 in the West. The Lakers are in good shape, so there is a good chance of going straight to the playoffs, and in the next 5 games, the Lakers' opponents are the Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Warriors, Grizzlies, Pelicans, and 4 are playoff-level teams, but the Lakers have the strength to beat their opponents.
If the Lakers end up with a 49-33 record, they won't have much of a problem making the playoffs. James is 39 years old, and Brother Bushy is over 30 years old, if you can avoid playing the play-offs, you have to do your best, in fact, the Lakers' goal is not only to enter the playoffs, but also to compete for the championship, after all, as long as the Nuggets are upset, the Lakers will not fall behind at all in the face of other Western teams.